The 2009 State Tournament hosts are ready for the for the best DYB in NC to visit them to determine state champions.  

The AA (coach pitch) tournament will be hosted by the City of Eden and will be played at Freedom Park. The tournament will start on July 11.

The AAA tournament will be hosted by Clarkton Dixie Youth and will begin on July 18.

The O-Zone tournament will be hosted by Reidsville Dixie Youth and will begin on July 18.

The Majors tournament will be hosted West Robeson Dixie Youth in Pembroke and will begin on July 18 also.  

Please see "Handouts" for the brackets. They will be updated as teams qualify for the tournaments.  

The Schedule for the Majors-AAA practice games has been revised again and has been posted as of 11:30pm on June 19 (see next story). The only change from the last update (last night) is the addition of the Kiwanis-Bladen County game at 8pm in Clarkton.

There are some open time slots. We may fill these slots if teams want additional games or if more teams wish to enter. The deadline will be 4pm Friday June 19. Please email Carey Wrenn at cwrenn6865@aol.ocm AND call him at 434-386-8151 to get a game scheduled. Please be specific on game times that you prefer. I will do the best I can in honoring your requests and will email you with a confirmation.  

Please see the "Handouts' section for the revised and hopefully, final schedule for the Majors/AAA practice games in Hallsboro, Clarkton, and Evergreen on June 19-21. This schedule was posted at 10:45pm on Thursday June 18.  

Please contact Carey for any information or questions regarding the AAA/majors games. The best way to reach him is by email at cwrenn6865@aol.com or at 434-386-8151.

Field Locations:

Hallsboro-- Mike Mobley field is located at Hallsboro Elementary School. Hallsboro is located about 8 miles east of Whiteville. From US 74, turn south on SR 1001. Go to the stop light, turn left (east). The school will be on the right about 1 mile. Turn right and the field is on the left behind the school.

Clarkton-- The Clarkton DYB complex is located behind the large factory on US 701 about 1/4 mile south of the NC 211 and US 701 intersection in Clarkton.

Evergreen-- The fields are located on NC 242 just north of Evergreen. From the south, turn north on NC 242 from US 74 and continue through Evergreen until you get to the fields. From the north, take NC 242 and travel south. The fields will be on your right just before getting into Evergreen.  

North Carolina will be following the AA rules posted on this website for its 2009 AA tournaments. These are slightly different from those in the DYB rulebook.

The National Board has always let the State Boards set the AA rules for their state. However, with the addition of the Regional Tournaments this year, the National Board designed rules to be used in the Regional Tournaments and placed those rules in the DYB rulebook. It was understood that State Boards could continue to use their rules in District and State Tournaments, which is what NCDYB did.

This has caused some confusion. This will be corrected prior to 2010.

I apologize for any problems caused by this. However, this was clearly communicated at every District Workshop held in February and March of 2009 in North Carolina.

Some of the differences are:

NC requires 13 players where the National allows 11-13 players.

NC uses the halfway mark between bases to determine whether a runner advances or returns to a base when the umpire calls time out. The national rule allows for runners to advance if they are not in contact with a base when time is called.

NC allows unlimited runs to be scored in the 6th inning, n order to allow a team to "catch up". The national rules do not, thus a game could be called earlier if the trailing team cannot score enough runs in the sixth inning to tie the score.

Again, we plan to get consistent by 2010, so thank you for having patience with us.

Carey Wrenn

State Director 

The North Carolina Dixie Baseball/Softball State meeting was held on January 31, 2009 at the Days Inn in Southern Pines, NC.

There were about 230 people in attendance including 17 Official Suppliers displaying their products for leagues to use as fundraising or their equipment needs. In attendance were also National, State and District officials.

Each Dixie organization (Dixie Youth Baseball, Dixie Softball, and Dixie Boys/Majors Baseball) was well represented.

As ususal the attendees enjoyed and outstanding lunch prepared by the Days Inn staff.  

The DYB meeting was chaired by State Director Carey Wrenn. National Officials included Deputy Commissioner Billy Deaton from SC, National Vice President Tommy Henry from Georgia, National Secretary Gary McJunkin from SC, National Directors Ken Britt and David Jackson from NC. Also in attendance was Tom Linton, one of the incorporators of Dixie Youth Baseball. He received a standing ovation when he was introduced.

The drawings for the 2009 AA, AAA, and majors state tournaments were drawn (see Handouts). The national directors also gave out their annual National Director Awards to leagues who showed exemplary service in 2008. The leagues receiving awards this year were Town Creek (Brunswick County), Tryon Optimist (Gaston County) and Kannapolis.

Carey Wrenn awarded the State Director's award (given to an individual who has shown outstanding support to NC Dixie Youth Baseball) to Buddy Burney. Buddy died on January 10, 2009. His son, Frankie, and his brother, Marvin, received the award on behalf of Buddy and his family.  

Distict Workshop schedules were passed out to the leagues (see Handouts for the schedule). 

The Practice Games registrations were also handed out (see schedules and registration forms for each in the Handout Section). Wrenn emphasized that those interested in playing should register early before all of the time slots were filled.  

The 2010 meeting will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2010, likely at the same site.

Buddy Burney, NC Dixie Youth Baseball National Director, passed away today, January 10, 2009 after a short battle with cancer.

Funeral arrangments:   There will be a vistitation from 4pm-7pm on Sunday, January 11 at the Bladen-Gaskins Funeral Home located on the corner of NC 242 and Martin L. King Drive about 2 miles south of Elizabethtown. From NC 87 turn south onto ML King Drive and go about a half a mile. From US 701 turn west onto NC 242 and go about one mile.

The funeral will be at 2pm on Monday January 12 at the White Plains Presbyterian Church about 6 miles east of Clarkton. From the west, north and south, go to the intersection of US 701 and NC 211 in Clarkton. Travel east 5.9 miles until you get to the Emerson sign and turn north onto White Plains Church Road. Go 1.7 miles and the church will be on your right. From the east, traveling on NC 211, turn right onto White Plains Chruch road and then go 1.7 miles to the church.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers a contribution to the Dixie Youth Baseball Scholarship Fund be sent to Carey Wrenn, NC State Director at 190 Sage Lane, Madison Heights, VA  24572.

Cards can be sent to the home at PO Box 668 Clarkton, NC  28433.

The Buddy Burney Day (see below) will be held as planned on January 17, 2009. 

Buddy has served many capacities in Dixie Youth since the 1970s. He has been a District Director, Assistant State Director and National Director (since 1999). Buddy will me missed very much by NCDYB. As listed in other articles on this website, he was instrumental in establishing the Scholarship games. He helped schedule the games, he worked the gate, he helped line up umpires and did much more in the various sets of games held each year in Elizabethtown, Hallsboro and Clarkton (his home town).

Buddy and I (Carey Wrenn) had a conversation in December. Buddy told me that he knew that Jesus Christ was his Saviour and that he knew that Jesus had died on the cross for him and that Jesus did arise from the grave and ascended into Heaven, where he (Buddy) will be with Him at the throne of the Father. While it is very sad news that we will not get to be with Buddy physically (we will be with him spiritually as we work and play this year), we can have joy that Buddy is in Heaven.

Buddy was beloved by almost everyone he met. He loved helping others, particularly children of all ages.

We ask that you pray for his family. He is survived by his wife, Leesa; a son, Frankie, who is a DYB District Director (wife Christie); two daughters, Corey and Casey; a sister, Geraldine; four brothers, Jim, Walt, Ronald, and Marvin; 3 grandchildren and many, many friends.    

The North Carolina Dixie Youth Baseball AA (coach pitch) Practice (Scholarship) Games have been named the "Buddy Burney Practice-Scholarship Games". These games are held in June of each year and feature AA (coach pitch) All-Star teams from around the state. The games are designed to allow tournament teams to have practice games against teams from other districts as they prepare to enter Dixie Youth tournament play. They also serve as a fundraiser for the Dixie Youth Scholarship Fund. Over $80,000 has been raised for the Scholarship Fund in the almost 20 years that NC Dixie Youth has been holding the games (including other sets of practice games). Buddy Burney was one of the originators of the various sets of practice games. Buddy has always had a particular fondness for the coach pitch division. His home league, Clarkton Dixie Youth, has hosted the AA games since their inception a few years ago.

The Practice Games for regular season teams, which is held in April of each year in Elizabethtown and Clarkton, are named the Charles L. Lennon Games--after the former National Director (Mr. Lennon). NCDYB also holds practice games for the Majors and AAA divisions tournament teams in Hallsboro, Clarkton and other locations each June. All of the games serve as fundraisers for the Scholarship Fund.

The Sportsmanship Award given at the NCDYB AA State Tournament is also named for National Director, Charles "Buddy" Burney. The first named award was presented in honor of Burney to Oxford DYB at the 2008 NCDYB AA State Tournament at the Cape Fear Optimists Club complex in Wilmington on July 8, 2008.

Burney, from Clarkton, has been involved as a Dixie Youth official since the mid-1970s. He served as a District Director for many years and was elected to the National Board in 1999. He was instrumental in the inception of the Scholarship Practice Games in Elizabethtown and Hallsboro in the early 1990s and was the key person in starting the AA (Coach Pitch) Scholarship Practice Games in Clarkton several years ago.

Please join the NCDYB family in congratulating Buddy on this well-deserved honor. (Please see earlier News story about Buddy's illness.   

Lumberton DYB AAA All-Stars, representing North Carolina in the 2008 Dixie Youth AAA World Series, finished as one of the two runner-up teams. After losing 11-10 in their first game of the week on Monday, the Lumberton team won four straight games, including defeating the only remaining unbeaten team on Friday. However, Mississippi won the bye into the final game and NC was defeated in the earlier Saturday game 9-5 by Troupe County (Georgia). The two losses for Lumberton were to the two teams playing for the championship.

Dunn DYB All-Stars, representing North Carolina in the 2008 Dixie Youth Majors World Series, won their first three games, but then lost the next two games to finish in 3rd place. The two losses for Dunn were to the two teams playing for the championship.

Congratulations to these two fine teams for representing North Carolina in such a superlative manner.

A 3-run home run in the bottom of the sixth (last) inning by Cody Baker led Dunn to a 11-9 win over Troy to win the 2008 North Carolina Dixie Youth Majors State Tournament at Tryon Optimists Park in Gaston County.  

Dunn will represent North Carolina in the 2008 Dixie Youth World Series in LaGrange, GA beginning on August 4.

Dunn had remained in contention for the 2008 NC Dixie Youth Baseball championship with a 8-5 win over Troy in Game 2 of best of 3 Series. The final game will be played at 1:30pm on Saturday July 26.  

 Powered by two home runs, Troy defeated Dunn 6-3 in Game 1 of the Championship Series of the NC DYB Majors State tournament.    

Youngsville and Tryon Optimists were among several teams in contention for the Sportsmanship Award. The committee decided to give two Sportsmanship Awards this year with Youngsville and Tryon Optimists winning the awards.

Please see the "Handouts" link for the brackets.  

Lumberton National won the 2008 North Carolina Dixie Youth Baseball AAA state tournament with a 7-1 win over Dunn in the second game of the best of three series. The win was sparked by a game winning 3-run home run by Daniel Oxendine that broke a 1-1 tie.

Lumberton defeated Dunn 6-4 in the first game the Championship Series on Friday night. Dunn took a 1-0 lead early in the game. Lumberton tied the game in the 3rd inning, then took a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the 6th inning. Dunn rallied for 3 runs in the 6th to make the final score 6-4.

Lumberton will represent NC in the 2008 Dixie Youth AAA World Series in LaGrange, GA beginning on August 4.  

Kannapolis won the Ken Britt Sportsmanship Award.

North Stanly DYB won the 2008 NCDYB state championship with a 3-1 win over West Stanly.

North Stanly will represent NC in the 2008 Dixie Youth Baseball O-Zone World Series in Pascagoula, Mississippi on July 26.

South Columbus won the Sportsmanship Award.

More information will be provided later.  

Charlotte South Park Dixie Youth won its second consecutive AA (coach pitch) championship by defeating West Lincoln 8-2 at the Cape Fear Optimists Park in Wilmington. Southpark won the first game of the "best of three" Championship Series on Monday by a score of 14-2. West Lincoln had gone undefeated in its bracket to reach the Championship Series.   

Oxford (North Granville) won the Charles Burney Sportsmanship Award (see related story).

See "Handouts" section for bracket results. 

Wayne Casteen is the Umpire-in -Chief for North Carolina Dixie Youth Baseball. He is responsible for scheduling umpire clinics throughout the state and for registering umpires eligible call in DYB tournaments.

His phone number is 910-285-7694 (h) and 910-289-8348 (c). His email address is 3rdstrike22@embarqmail.com

For 2008 we will use an "Application" for those who wish to call in State Tournaments. Please see the "Handouts" section under Umpire Information to download and application.

All applications should be sent to: Wayne Casteen  404 E. Southerland St. Wallace, NC  28466 

A miracle of God was witnessed by spectators when Travis Oliver, who had survived a near-drowning five days earlier, was driven into the park during the semi-final game of the 2007 Dixie Youth World Series. As he arrived during the 5th inning of the North Carolina-Alabama game, there was a standing ovation and loud applause.

On Sunday, August 5, Travis had to be rescued after being under water for several minutes in the pool at the motel where the NC team was staying. He was pulled from underwater by Tracy Goforth of Blacksburg, VA. Tracy's husband, Mike, who is the athletic trainer at Virginia Tech, and Norman Croy, a sheriff's deputy in Montgomery County, VA (along with Warren Brown of Leland and Chris Lucas of Blacksburg, VA) provided CPR to Travis. According to witnesses, Travis did not have a pulse and was not breathing. They were able to expel a large amount of water to the extent that Travis was able to slightly breathe until emergeny personnel arrived to take Travis to Lynchburg General Hospital. People at the hotel began to immediately get on their knees and pray.

It was determined that he needed to be transferred to University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. Travis remained in the pediatric ICU unit until Tuesday and he was then transferred to Pitt Memorial in Greenville, NC to be closer to his Leland home. While he remained in intensive care, the reports of all of the tests continued to be encouraging towards a full recovery. On Friday, he was allowed to leave the hospital and he received permission to come back to the World Series in Madison Heights, VA to witness the games that he had missed since the accident. His older brother Mike and his mother Daisy drove him 5 hours to be with his team.

During the week, each NC team had displayed his #50 uniform in their dugout, not forgetting their teammate.

During the elimination ceremony of the NC team, Travis was able to walk with them (the teams normally will run) to retrieve the state flag from the outfield fence, He was also given his medal and other awards given to each team player. His family was then given gifts from DYB, the Host organization, and from other DYB leagues. Travis's mother thanked all that had shown love and she thanked God for giving her son back to her.

NC Dixie Youth wants to thank the thousands of people who prayed diligently for Travis during the week. Many people who had nothing to do with the Series asked about Travis thoughout the week. We especially want to thank those who assisted in saving Travis's life at the pool. We also want to give a special thanks to Gary Roakes of Amherst County for all of his assitance to the Oliver family during this crisis; to Roberta Wright ( the NC team mom from Madison Heights) for her tireless devotion and love; to Ronnie Adams and all of his volunteers from Madison Heights Youth Baseball Association for their fundraising, gifts and cards; and DYB officials for allowing Travis to return in such a special manner. We know that we have left out names of others that played a role in this miracle, and we apologize for that. You know who you are and God knows who you are. We most of all want to thank God and give him praise for this miracle of life. God gives us life and he gives it abundantly!